Leonie talks to Maurice Cunningham, professor at UMass and an author of an eye-opening new book called Dark Money and the Politics of School Privatization, about how a small handful of American oligarchs are attempting to privatize our public schools using dark money, what dark money is, what it hides & what ordinary citizens can do about it. He is also a contributor to a blog called MassPoliticsProfs covering Massachusetts politics.
Maurice T. Cunningham, Dark Money and the Politics of School Privatization and Mass Politics Profs blog Local News:
Local News:
NYC Public School Parents, Unanswered questions about DESSA, the DOE's social-emotional screener, and what parents should do
Class Size Matters testimony on Intro 2374 and the need to lower class size
Testimony on class size from Regent Kathy Cashin, Diane Ravitch and others
NYC Council co-sponsors and text of the class size bill, Intro 2374
Background on dark money and stealth campaigns of school privatization in NY and MA:
NY Times, Charter Schools’ New Cheerleaders: Financiers, May 9, 2010
WNYC, Who Is Behind the Pro-Charter Schools Group Fighting de Blasio?, March 6, 2014
NY Times, Cuomo Played Pivotal Role in Charter School Push, April 3, 2014
Politico, Pro-charter group sets lobby record, Dec. 12, 2014
The Nation, 9 Billionaires Are About to Remake New York’s Public Schools—Here’s Their Story, March 19, 2015
Peter Greene, Who Put the D in DFER? March 28, 2015
WBUR, Where The Money Comes From In The Fight Over Charter Schools, Oct. 27, 2016
NY Times, Super PACs’ Spend Freely as Control of New York Senate Hangs in Balance, Nov. 6, 2016
WBUR, Pro-Charter School Group Pays State $425,000 For Failing To ID Donors, Sept. 12, 2017
Politico, After a political rout, New York’s wealthiest charter group searches for an identity, Nov. 15, 2017
WBUR, CEO Of Group That Heavily Backed 2016 Charter School Ballot Q Is Ousted For Alleged Misconduct, Feb. 1, 2018
Politico, Families for Excellent Schools planning to close following CEO's firing, Feb.5, 2018
WBUR, Organization Behind Charter Push In Mass. Will Close Amid Scandal, Feb. 6, 2018
WBUR, As A Pressure Group Folds, Mass. Charter Advocates Survey The Damage, Feb. 7, 2018
Politico, Pro-Adams PAC drops an ad following police-focused debate, May 14, 2021
WBUR, As A Pressure Group Folds, Mass. Charter Advocates Survey The Damage, Feb. 7, 2018
Politico, Pro-Adams PAC drops an ad following police-focused debate, May 14, 2021